Ventilated footwear



April 1, 1952 R. T. MANNING VENTILATED FOOTWEAR Filed March 14, 1951 F I b IN V EN TOR. 2035 2 m/V/W/Va J1 ZM Patented Apr. 1 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,591,454 VENTILATED FOOTWEAR Ruben T. Manning, Maury City, Tenn.

Application March 14, 1951, Serial No. 215,464

1 Claim. -1

This invention relates to rubber or leather footwear, that is, boots or shoes, and the main object is the provision of a practical and useful improvement whereby the same may be ventilated or aired so as to keep the feet from getting uncomfortably hot. The invention may be applied to both knee length and hip boots, and in the latter case provision is made so that when the top is folded down the openings or vents will be exposed to permit air to pass through the veins to cool the feet and legs.

The above broad as well as additional and more specific objects will be clarified in the following description wherein characters of reference refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted that the drawing is intended solely for the purpose of illustration, and that it is therefore neither desired nor intended to limit the invention necessarily to any or all of the exact details of construction shown except insofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawing,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a rubber boot provided with the ventilating veins of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a leather boot provided with the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 -5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view, partly in section and partly broken away, of the upper portion of a hip boot provided with the ventilating veins of this invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral l indicates a knee length rubber boot having the foot portion II and the heel portion l2, and including the opposed side walls I3 and M. A pair of veins and [6 are provided on the outer walls of the boot, and in the case of a rubber boot the veinsK-are vulcanized or otherwise fused to the boot. The vein I5 is positioned forward of the vein Hi. The vein I5 extends down one side of the boot along the wall M, as at 19, from a point near the rim of the boot, then curves forward as at H and extends along the roof of the foot ll,

then curves transversely over the front of the roof of the foot as at [8 and extends back around the foot on the other side and up in a mirrored reverse direction to be followed by the portions [9, IT and I8 just described and as indicated at l9a, Ila, respectively. Throughout the path of the vein I5, the wall of the boot is provided with spaced openings or perforations thus providing air communication between the hollow vein and the interior of the boot.

The upper extremities of the vein l5 on each side of the boot, that is, of the portions l9 and Mia, are curved in a rearward direction to provide substantially horizontal top ends 2| whose free extremities 22 are open. The vein [6 is similar to the vein I5 except that it extends around the heel portion of the foot, and boot wall openings 20 are similarly provided therefor.

Fig. 2 shows similar veins I5a and I6a applied to a leather boot 23 in the same manner, except that the veins are formed by stitching to the boot wall the opposed edges of a strip 24 which is provided with a raised middle portion or bulge, and similar openings 29 are provided in the boot wall to give air access between the hollow veins and the interior of the boot.

In the case of the hip boot illustrated in Fig. 6, showing at 15b and H512 the upper portions of the same form of veins as those shown at [5 and I6, respective1y,-and previously described, the lower edge 25 of the soft rubber upper hip extension 26 of the boot 21, is attached and sealed against the outer surface of the boot at a level below the upper extremities of the veins. Thus, as shown in Fig. 6, when the extension 26 is elevated about the thighs of the wearer, as for wading, the extension 26 covers the vein openings 22 and thus keeps water out of the veins. However, when the extensions 26 are folded down, not shown, it is obvious that the open ends 22 of the veins will be exposed to the air, thus again permitting outside air to have communication, through the veins and the openings 20, with the interior of the boot.

In all of the forms above described, the legs and feet of the wearer are made more comfortable by permitting outside air to have access to the interior of the boot.

Obviously, modifications in form or structure may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

'covered by said vein having spaced openings The following references are of record in the REFERENCES CITED file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Cottrell Apr. 26, 1870 Perkins Apr. 26, 1870' Carolin Jan. 9, 1917 

